Taken on a Summer's Night
by Adara the Dark Sage
Summary: I'm back with another story! Olivia is taken while on a case, and the SVU has no idea where she could be. Can they find her in time, or will they be too late? RxR rated M for language, graphic images, and death No flames, just constructive critisism
1. Chapter 1

**Taken on a Summer's Night**

**Summary: Olivia is taken hostage, and it's up to Elliot and the whole of New York's police department to save her. The problem is: they have no idea where she is. Can they get to her in time, or will they be too late?**

Two weeks. Two fucking weeks, and not a single person in this god damn station had seen or heard from her. We've searched everywhere in this godforsaken city, and not a single fucking clue!! It wasn't just terrifying, it was frustrating as well. We tried to track her cell phone, but, somehow it was blocked. One of your best detectives goes out on a routine case; one like many she's done before and just disappears into thin air as if by magick_ **(A/N: I spelled magick this way for a reason.)**_ Gone. As though she disappeared into thin air. People just don't disappear in the middle of New York City; it's not fucking possible. They would have to go somewhere, but where? That is the question that had been driving Elliot and the rest of the Special Victims Unit crazy.

The SVU had even enlisted the help of the Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Upper West Side Police and SVU departments to find her, but even they couldn't find her. No one could. With each passing day, it got more and more hopeless. Teams of detectives went down town to hang posters or go door-to-door asking if anyone had seen her or had an idea of what could of happened, hoping that, if by a miracle, someone actually did. Not a single god damn shred of information. It seemed like, no matter what they did, nothing worked. They couldn't find her; the squad wanted to know who took her and why. They would give anything to know what happened to their best detective.

After two weeks without a scrap of news, Elliot found himself back at the computer, his fingers running across the keyboard, as if in in a hurry. Each time, he tried a location they had already combed over a dozen times; every time, the same little window would pop up: Unknown Location. Please try a new location. Nothing new had come in since she disappeared. Nothing. Nada. She was really gone, and there were no leads or clues pointing in a promising direction.

A few minutes had passed and Elliot stopped typing and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Something had to open, something had to give way, but where to begin looking? The SVU team came through before, making it through every obstacle that popped up or got in their way. They had a case similar to this one, but it didn't last as long as this one had. Last time, they had clues that led them straight to their missing comrade. This time, they have to go in blind with nothing to point them in the right direction. It seemed with every passing second they weren't out on the street, looking, a second of Olivia's life was ticking away.

Her kidnapping had taken a toll on everyone, but especially on Elliot. Everyone on the team was stressed and worried for Olivia's sake. The usually cheerful busy station-house had gone drastically quiet. Tempers flared and emotions were running high with frustration.

The detectives wouldn't talk with each other, at least, not much anyway. The only words spoken throughout the silent station-house would be something like "thanks" or "mmhm." If they needed to communicate a thought, they'd write it down, and pass it along to the person it was meant for.

The air withing the station was that of frustration, depression, and worry. Even those who weren't a part of the SVU knew this wasn't the usual air.

As Elliot leaned back in his chair, he hoped that today they would finally find something, that today would be the day they'd bring Olivia home...

He turned slightly, as Munch came in, the usual look on his face. Elliot knew what he was going to say before Munch said anything.

"Cragen called the every person on this case, and nobody has anything new," he said, sitting down at his desk. "The Bronx PD, the Manhattan PD, the Queens PD, and the Upper East Side SVU. They're all coming back down to help. We'll find her, Elliot, don't worry," said Munch, smiling a half-assed smile.

"When'll they be here?"

"I think Cragen said noon. Why?"

Elliot stood up. "Go and wait with Fin, then. I need to see the Capitan about something." And, without waiting for a reply, he took off up the spiral staircase towards Don Cragen's office.

Munch watched him for a minute, then headed for the foyer, where Fin was waiting.

"Hey, want some company?" asked Munch as he stepping into the foyer. "I thought Cragen set you to work on something," said Fin, as he leaned against the wall of the foyer. "Elliot sent me out here so I couldn't listen to his conversation with Cragen," said Munch.

"Figures. You were always a fly on the wall when it came to important, private matters," said Fin, staring out the window overlooking the street. "Hey, don't knock it. That's my specialty, being a pain in everyone's ass," said Munch, the half-assed smile back on his face.

**66666666666666666666666666666666**

Cragen was sitting at his desk again, his hands flying across the keyboard. He was working on trying to find her cell phone signal, in case by a slim chance it was turned on again, but with little success. It surprised Cragen a bit that whoever had taken Olivia knew she had a tracker on her cell phone, and make sure that they either turned it off or destroyed it somehow. A very interesting fact.

Cragen frowned again, and ran his hand through his hair. He made sure that whoever had Olivia was going to get the beating of a lifetime. As soon as he turned around, tired of looking at a useless computer screen, it changed. He turned around (again), this time, his eyes wide.

**666666666666666666666666666666666**

Munch and Fin stood in the foyer for almost two hours, waiting for their new team to arrive.

"Do you think we'll find her? You know, alive and unharmed?" asked Munch after about twenty minutes of silence.

Fin bit his lip for a second, unable to think of what to say. What should he say? He didn't know. No one knew what to say. Everyone in that squad hoped to find her alive and unharmed. They hoped and never gave up on it. But, would they really find her though? Would they be able to make it in time?

"Of course we'll find her. I know we'll find her." He smiled a half-hearted smile, even though he knew that it'd be a miracle if they did...

**6666666666666666666666666666666666**

"Guys, I know you've all worked very hard, but I don't know what to say."

"We've searched everywhere, Capitan. Everywhere we look, there's no sign of her." The Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Upper West Side detectives were all gathered in the station room, all of them looking up at Cragen and Stabler.

Cragen ran his hands through his hair in frustration. This was getting them nowhere fast; for all they knew, Olivia could be lying somewhere bleeding to death and all they were doing was standing around with their thumbs up their asses. "All we can do for now is wait for Detective Beckham to come back with something soon." She probably didn't have a damn thing. They've been searching for weeks now, why would anything new come up now?

"We sent a team from the Manhattan SVU go out into the city again with a heartbeat detector, but they couldn't pick anything up," said Munch, sitting down at his desk.

"She's not dead," snapped Elliot, his grip on the railing tighter (he was standing with his hands on the railing of the spiral staircase that led up to Cragen's office)

"I didn't mean for it to sou-"

"But you sure as hell implied it though!! There are millions of places in this fucking city she could be. Did they check all of them?" asked Elliot.

"Only about half of them; they'll let us know if they pick up anything," said Munch.

The mass of detectives stood in silence for a minute; Detective Tutuola being the first to speak. "Who could it have been? Could it be someone that knows who their up against?"

"I'd be willing to think so. If it wasn't, my next bet is someone who's been watching either her or us. Whoever it was knows our technology and our tactics," said Detective Green, who was standing at the back of the gathering.

"What tactics?" asked Cragen, looking down at Detective Green.

"Can you think of any other way they'd be able to keep her this long without us finding her?" asked Green, his arms folded across his chest.

"I see," said Cragen.

"Ok, so basically, she went off by herself on a case, and never returned?" asked Detective Carter, a detective from the Bronx SVU.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Elliot, his grip tightening even more on the railing.

"I see. Has anyone been released or broken out of jail recently?" asked Green.

Elliot and Cragen thought for a moment. "Um, Manson released two weeks ago; Warner broke out a couple days ago; Stevens, that crazy Dr. who experimented on women broke out two weeks ago, we haven't been able to track him down," said Fin from his desk.

"What's up Green? Are you getting at someth-"

But before Cragen could finish his sentence, Detective Beckham skidded into the room, a piece of paper in her hand.

"Detective Beckham, what the hell happened?! Something scare you or what?!" asked Cragen, looking down at the wheezing detective.

"N-no sir!! I-It's Olivia's Signal. I found her sir," she gasped...

**666666666666666666666666666666666666666**

**At last, the first chapter is complete!! Enjoy, but don't forget to review!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**(A/N: Thank you so much for not loosing faith in me guys!! The constant reviews are greatly appreciated!! I'm so sorry to be taking so long, there's been a lot going on lately pluse school. I promise to keep updating, it may just take a while)**

**666666666666666666666666666666**

In the distance, she heard a cell door creak open. She tried to lift her head to see who it was, but her neck hurt too much; a result of three hours of nonstop beatings.

"So, Detective, are you ready to talk yet?" asked the man standing over Olivia, who was bound with her hands above her head.

"No way in the fiery depths of hell," she whispered, glaring up at the man standing over her. She knew what she was doing would end up costing her dearly, but she was only giving fair warning to the man standing over her.

"We both know you'll end up changing your mind before long," said her captor, as he bent down, took a hold of Olivia's wrist and bent it until it gave a gut-renching snap.

"That's for being the defiant little bitch you are. I wouldn't put it past you to find a way to make trouble, though. You have quite the reputation, Detective. But, what do you expect for a detective who went out by herself without her partner."

Again, Olivia had nothing to say. She knew what he said was true. She should have had her partner with her, but she insisted to go it alone. She'd gone on many assignments by herself, and made it back alive and in one piece. This time, though, she probably wouldn't make it out alive.

"You're not very talkative tonight are you?" asked the captor again as he started throwing kicks at Liv's stomach. She could feel with each kick her ribs breaking. The captor stopped as Olivia groaned and gasped for breath. "Are you going to tell me where the files are, or do you need a little more convincing?" asked the captor.

"I...have no idea where the f-files are," said Olivia between breaths as she tried to take in another breath, but it hurt her to breath the way she was now. In the back of her mind, she was wondering how much longer she was going to be able to last. She knew the beatings were only just beginning. Just how much more was she going to be able to take before they finally killed her or she was miraculously resuced?

"Enough with the bull shit, Benson. We both know a detective like you has close-ties with the feds. Where are the files?" the captor said with yet another bone-snapping kick to Olivia's ribs.

"I haven't seen them since your trial," she said before being kicked in the side of the face; she could feel her teeth part company with her gums and she could taste blood.

So that was a bold-faced lie; a select few, Olivia included had seen the files. Cragen gave Olivia the files for safe keeping who, in turn, gave the files to Elliot to keep. Now, she was grateful she did; the files wouldn't do her any good here. It did, however, give both of them an advantage: her captors knew she had seen the files, but they didn't know she actually had them.

"Enough with the fucking lies. You're a good liar, Detective, but we know you're hiding something. And since you're not telling us willingly, we'll have to beat it out of you," he said, as he aimed another kick at Liv's face, this time breaking her nose and spraying blood everywhere. Olivia Benson said nothing.

After what seemed like a beating that would never end, Olivia was tossed into an empty cell. Her badly broken wrist throbbing in pain and her newly broken nose still bleeding badly. No matter how tough she was, no matter how defiant she was, they were still determined to make her talk. She wasn't going to make it too much more here, even if the beatings stopped. She was going to die here, in this tiny cell.

**6666666666666666666666666666**

**I know it's a short chapter, but the next one will be longer, I promise. My writer's block has been lifted. Praise the Goddess!! Anyway, thank you so much to those who have reviewed, and to those who haven't lost faith in me!! Keep on reviewing, guys, you're awesome and your reviews mean a lot to me!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**6666666666666666666**

"She's going to make it home, right?" asked Issac Jackson, as he fidgeted with his badge. This whole ordeal was taking its toll on the young detective. He wasn't suppose to be there. Cragen had sent fresh teams out to search New York again. It was taking it's toll on all of them, for that matter. Now that Detective Benson wasn't with them, it not only shook him up a hell of a lot more, but it made him even more insecure than he had been when she was with them. Jackson believed that Olivia would keep them safe and out of harm's way. They all did for that matter, and because of that confidence, she was gone.

"Of course she'll make it home. She's probably got her escape plan all ready to put into action," said Munch, his feet resting on his desk. The tall gangly man said it with a half-assed smile, as a siren went off somewhere. It was such a familiar sound to them all by now that no one bothered to look up. Munch tried his best to reassure Jackson that they'd find her, but everyone's hope of ever seeing Liv again were fading fast. It'd been four weeks now, and there was still no sign of her whereabouts.

Munch looked over at Stabler. For the first time in the thirty years he'd been an SVU detective could he actually remember being worried about his teammate. He hadn't spoken a word since he found out Liv was missing. All he did was sit and stare off into the distance. Everyone, even those who weren't apart of the SVU knew Elliot and Olivia shared a special bond, that they would protect each other at all costs, and being fully aware of the fact that he hadn't been there to protect her was killing him on the inside.

Elliot could feel Munch looking in his direction. He knew Munch was concerned, but Elliot didn't care. Elliot knew that everyone, Cragen included, were trying to convince each other that, at any given moment, Olivia would walk into the station, unharmed and alive. He couldn't fool himself though, he knew he should have gone with her, even though she insisted to go it alone. He put his hand into his pocket, and felt a small box; the engagement ring he was going to give to her. Now, a symbol of the life they would possibly never share together.

No matter how hard they tried to hide it, Olivia's disappearance was hard on all of them. All of them, in one way or another got to know Olivia, even if they worked under her or with her. She wasn't just the squad's best detective, she was everyone's close friend. Loosing her and knowing they'd probably never see her again hurt them even more. Those who knew Olivia (who worked with her from the very beginning I mean) knew that the hard-headed stubbornness was just an act. That deep down, she was a fiery, passionate woman who was ready and willing to help anyone in need.

Despite desperate attempts at keeping their hope and faith alive, the fog of doubt and pessimism spread throughout the station as the days ticked by, marking the fourth week Olivia wasn't with them. Could it be more than that? Could it be the fact that the truth was sneaking up on them (by truth, I mean that Olivia was never going to return, at least alive or unharmed)? Some realized by now that Olivia didn't always have a plan at the ready to put into action, that she almost always followed her instincts and sometimes acted on impulse when those she cared most about were in danger.

"Elliot. Hello, earth to Elliot. You ok?" asked Munch, as he tried to get Elliot's attention for the last half hour. Elliot had been staring off into space again. Cragen told him it wasn't healthy to think about not seeing her again. He was trying to keep Elliot busy with desk work to try to get him to focuse. His efforts were futile, because all Elliot could do was sit and think of the life he was never going to share with the woman he loved.

"What?! Oh, yeah, I was just thinking about something is all," he said, shaking his head to rid himself of the thought. He was thinking back to the night before Olivia disappeared, to the night of pure passion they shared before she was called off on an assignment **(A/N: don't worry, I'm not going to go into explicit detail what they did that night, so y'all can get your minds out of the gutter.)**

The squad of detectives fell quiet again, until Elliot stood up. All eyes in the room turned in his direction, eager to hear what his plan was. He placed his gun back in the inner pocket of his jacket, which was slung over the back of his desk chair (he had is gun out to have something in his hands. If he didn't have that out, he would sit and stare at the ring box instead, and that was the last thing he needed to do. His guilt would eat away at him until he snapped and did something he'd probably regret.) He also tucked the ring box back into his pocket, so he could give it to Olivia if- or should I say- when he found her.

"I'm going to go find her, and I will bring her home," said Elliot, grabbing his jacket off his chair and heading out the door. He knew in the back of his mind that, if he found anything, it would probably be her dead corpse, but he couldn't take just sitting at his desk doing nothing. It was killing him that all he was doing was sitting there in the fucking station house, when he could be out there alongside every other search team.

Everyone that wasn't already assigned to a search team followed Elliot out the door. Those who followed knew it wouldn't be long before Elliot made the first move in the four weeks since her disppearence. It took them a while to get ready, but, before long, the small band of men, Cragen included set off to find Olivia...

**666666666666666666**

**Hey, I know I promised a longer chapter this time, but this was as long as I could go without totally screwing up the plot line. Read, rate, and review, let me know what you think. Keep up the great reviews, they mean a lot :)**

**Much love and Gratitude,**

**Adara the Dark Sage**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**66666666666666666666**

Almost four weeks. Liv Benson had miraculously managed to survive four weeks of nonstop beatings. To Olivia, of course had no idea how long it had been. To her, it felt like a lifetime. Her captors stopped feeding her after about the fourth day in this hell hole and they stopped giving her water about three days ago. Not only that, but they still continued to beat the information they wanted out of her. Her torture wasn't just physical, it was mental also. She was forced to watch as the prisoners around her were murdered in cold blood before her very eyes. When that didn't break down her defences and make her talk, they continued the beatings. She couldn't even move without her wounds causing unbearable amounts of pain.

She constantly tasted blood, due to the fact that many of her teeth had been knocked out. At first, when she was first taken prisoner, she kept telling herself that it wasn't that bad, and that it could be a hell of a lot worse. She kept herself alive by telling herself that she was going to get through this, and be back with her loved ones in no time. She could get through this, despite the fact that every bone in her body hurt like hell and she couldn't take a breath without the unbearable pain from her broken ribcage. About seven days later, however, she gave up that notion. The men that had taken Liv captive moved from breaking her bones to stabbing and whipping. She had a long gash up her back that wouldn't quit bleeding no matter what she did. The bleeding eventually slowed down, but it always bled fresh each time she tried to move.

Lately, however, there was no movement from the detective. She lay on the cement ground bloody, broken, and shaking. She was breathing, but it was ragged, and could only be heard if you were standing close to the cell. Other than her jagged breathing, she hadn't moved for almost two days. Her captors tried waking her up by throwing chips of dry ice at her, but that didn't work. She was as good as dead, so, they left her where she lay to die.

Later that night, the sound of running and shouting could be heard for miles. "Check every room in this god damned building!! Arrest anyone you find and tell me ASAP if you find her," shouted Elliot, as the men scattered. The orders sounded strange to his ears, but at the same time, sounded so familiar. He prayed to no god in particular that they would find Olivia and, if it came to it, give her the burial she deserved. He hoped and prayed that wouldn't be the case, that they would find her alive, but, with the ways things looked, he wouldn't get his hopes up.

"ELLIOT, WE FOUND HER!!" Fin yelled. He ran down a particularly dark cell block, his flashlight waving like mad between each cell. He almost ran past her without a second thought (everyone else in the cell block was dead.) He was certain the person in this cell was dead also, but, when he went up closer, and turned the body over, to his horror, he realized it was the bloody, broken body of Liv Benson. She was alive, thank goddess, she looked like hell, she was shaking badly, and her breath was jagged and labored and her pulse was very weak, but, miraculously, she was alive.

Hearing the news, Elliot turned and ran up the cell block he was in towards the next one where Fin had made his gruesome discovery. He skidded to a halt, almost knocking Cragen over when he saw the condition of his partner. Tears burned in his eyes as Fin looked up at him in horror.

"My god Liv. What have those bastards done to you?" Elliot whispered as he looked down at Liv's almost unrecognizable body. She was very thin, pale, bloody, and broken. Elliot saw the marks where the whip tore away at her skin and he also saw how badly she was shaking. Elliot picked her up bridal-style, earning himself a groan from the dying detective as his hands grabbed at her broken bones. He tried shifting her in his arms, but it didn't do much good. Fin tried to take her from him, but he was met with a mixed look of determination, grief,  
horror, and anger.

"We need to get her out of here now. She needs to get medical help fast or she's not going to make it," said Elliot as he ran as fast as he could with Liv in his arms. There was an ambulance outside waiting for them, ready and waiting to take the dead or dying to the hospital or morgue (whichever was appropriate.)

"She's cold," said Elliot, as he climbed in the back of the ambulance. He rested Liv's head on his lap and stroked her bloody cheek. Fin, who had also climbed in with Elliot handed him a nearby blanket as the ambulance jerked to life. One of the medic who was standing by, looked down at Liv with a look of admiration, his young face pale. He had heard of the brave Olivia Benson, but it was such a pity she had to be seen this way. The tech moved what remained of Liv's shirt aside to begin cleaning her wounds. As much as he wanted to help,  
there was little he could do in the back of an ambulance.

"I don't think she'll make it through the trip to the hospital," the tech said to Elliot, who was still holding on to Liv's body. He wasn't about to let her go; he made that mistake once already. She couldn't die, not now, not here when he could have stopped this whole fucking thing from ever happening. He held her in his arms against the bumps in the road. She looked so frail and fragile, and he could do nothing to help her. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me, god damn it. You say with me, ok?" Elliot whispered into her ear, hoping that she would hear what he said. "Don't you even think about leaving me. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you," he said as tears fell onto her battered bloody face.

Her eyes opened for a few seconds, looking up at Elliot and over at Fin. He didn't think he'd ever see her dark eyes open again, but she was looking at him. "Hang on a bit longer, Liv. Hold on for the SVU, hold on for me," he whispered again, as she violently shook in his arms. They hit a nasty hole on the road and she gave a yelp of pain as she closed her eyes, leaving the conscious world behind her again. He held her tighter, brushing her matted hair out of her eyes. "Don't worry, everything will be alright," he whispered. He said it, not only to comfort her, but also to comfort himself.

**6666666666666666666**

**They found her, but will she make it through the night?! Stay tuned to find out...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Hey all, I'm starting to wind this story down. Don't worry, there'll be a couple more chapters, but don't be surprised if you see THE END at the end of a chapter. Just a warning, no need to worry :) Keep on reviewing, yiou guys are awesome...**

**66666666666666666666**

They reached the hospital about four hours ago, but no update on what her condition was. She had been rushed to surgery the moment they got to the hospital, and has been in there ever since.

The ride to the hospital was horrible. There were so many bumps and potholes, it was fucking ridiculous. Elliot held her close the whole way there, with Fin standing close by just in case. Every little bump or pothole made the barely conscious detective yelp in pain. She stopped breathing about three times on the way to the hospital. They revived her, but they knew she wouldn't be able to last much longer if things kept going the way they were.

Once Liv was whisked away to surgery, Elliot completely broke down. He fell to his knees with tears streaming from his eyes, as though somewhere, deep down, a dam that had kept all his emotion back had been broken.  
His cries were a heartbreaking sound to the rest of the SVU team. He failed her, and he knew it. The only promise he had ever made to her, the most important one, he broke within a single action. The whole ordeal ended with the death of the woman he loved most. He let her walk into the trap that had been set for her, and now she was as good as dead. He wanted to die with her, because, in his mind, he had no other reason to live if she was gone. He sobbed her name again and again, crying out for his beloved Olivia.

Munch tried to comfrot Elliot, but it was no use. Still with no update on her condition, he took off for the hospital chapel to think. Elliot was sobbing silently into his hands when a gentle hand got his attention. Looking up, it was Munch. Elliot threw his arms around Munch **(A/N: He's greiving for crying out loud!! Munch was the first person to try to comfort him, and he needed someone strong to support him. So get your minds out of the gutters, ELIOT ISN'T GAY)** Munch and Elliot sat in the chapel as Elliot continued to sob into his hands.

All of them were grieving. They all were close to her, but not as close as he was. Almost everyone, Cragen included had a suspicion that there was more than just business or a friendly relationship; there was even a bet going as to how long it would take one of them to make a move. The two of them were always together, even if it wasn't related to a case, they were even spotted shopping together **(A/N: three guesses who it was that spotted them... you guessed it, Munch and Fin) **They had a bet that Liv and Elliot were in love, even if they would never admit it in their wildest day dreams.

"Detec...Elliot, it's going to be ok. She's a fighter, she'll pull through," said Munch as his voice broke trying to hold back t ears. He wanted to cry also, to grieve for the loss they would eventually have to deal with. He couldn't do that though; he knew he had to be strong for the both of them, he wasn't about to break down. Not now, not here.

"None of this is your fault," said Munch, after Elliot finally calmed down. He knew all of them, every single detective sitting in that waiting room felt guilty for allowing this to happen. That they hadn't done anything to stop her from going out alone, and that it took them so long to find her. Even Munch felt the weight of guilt on his shoulders for not doing anything tos top her, or try to convince her to take someone with her. They knew the dangers, they knew what could happen, but they did nothing to stop her.

The other SVU detectives joined Munch and Elliot in the chapel after a while. Jackson was sitting in a pew with his head in his hands, tears pouring down his face onto the carpeted floor. Green was sitting a bit farther down from Jackson, staring at the floor, a few tears trickling down his face also. Carter, a detective from the Bronx SVU was sitting staring at the wall, lost in his own thoughts. All of them could hear what Munch was saying through Elliot's renewed sobbing. They all wanted to believe she was going to make it, that she would be back to work in no time. Who were they kidding? Only themselves. They saw the condition she was in when they found her, they just didn't want to give up hope.

Now that Elliot had finally brken down, it was all over. They had never seen his this upset before (who could blame him?!) He was so strong, hiding any emotion at all behind a brick wall. Hearing his sobbing now was just as distressing as the news they just received. It was all over.

**6666666666666666666666**

**Sorry about the cliff hanger... Stay tuned to hear what happens...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**6666666666666666666**

_Where the fuck am I? Am I dead?_ This was the first conscious thought that came to Olivia's mind as she held on to the thin thread of her life. She had been through so much, only to end up hanging close to the jaws of death. She hadn't really been one who believed in things like god or the afterlife, but she was sure she was dead. Her body felt like it weighed a ton, she couldn't even move her eyes, so she couldn't see where she was. The only thing she could feel was the throbbing pain that shot all over her body when she tried to move. If she could feel this pain, she had to be alive, right?

Part of her was very scared of this reality she was in. What if, she thought, I stayed this way, being able to think, but not move? She could hear noises all around her, but where they were coming from or what they were coming from, she couldnt tell. One of these noises sounded strangely familiar. Part of her wanted to remember what this noise was, or who was talking. She knew she had heard it before, but she just couldn't tell who it was. The voice sounded so far away to her, that it just disoriented her even more.

She tried desperately to open her eyes. It was so painful for her to do something so fucking simple, it took all her strength and she gave up. She heard the voice say her name, this much was very clear to her, Olivia Benson. She heard it, but she just couldn't hang on to her thoughts anymore. The throbbing pain was just too much for her body to handle, and her thoughts ceased once more.

Cragen went to talk to one of the nurses after Elliot regain a little bit of his composure. He excused himself by saying that he needed to get some fresh air. This was partly true, but mostly, he couldn't stand just sitting doing nothing anymore. The sound of heavy rain and winds helped him to block things out.

"Liv Benson. Please, I need to see her" Elliot pleaded for the last half an hour.

It was very clear to the nurses that he had been crying, even the ones that hadn't seen him break down. He wasn't allowed into her room due to the "legalities" of only family was aloud to see her. The hospital staff had tried to track down someone from her family, but Elliot knew it was a pointless act. Her father was in prison and her mother killed herself a couple years ago. He was sure he didn't have any siblings, so it didn't come as a surprise when she left the part of making medical decisions if she wasn't capable of making them to Elliot.

He wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to call it a loophole that allowed him in, but, nevertheless, he was very thankful for it. Taking the seat next to her bed, he looked down at Liv. It shocked him to see her this way. Of course, he had been there when they found her, but the image was forever carved into his mind. She looked dead. If he hadn't seen the jagged rise and fall of her chest, he would have thought he had come in too late and the only reason they let him in finally was because she was dead.

"Oh, Liv," he said with a very heavy and sad sigh. He brushed some of her auburn hair from her face. It was a very sharp constrast from her sickeningly pale skin. He noticed as his brushed her forehead that her skin was a bit warmer than it had been on the way here. Thank god for that, but her skin was still cold.

"I'm so sorry, Liv," he said, wiping fresh tears from his eyes. He wished with all his heart that she would open her eyes again, to give him a small ray of hope. Couldn't she move just a bit, was it too much to ask for?

"You're such a fool," he told her. It was almost like he was telling her off for chasing after a serial killer again. If only she would say something back, it would be like old times.

"Why? Why did you do that?" he asked her as tears filled his eyes again. "You should have taken one of us with you. It wasn't worth what you went through, god damn it!! They believed you would return in one piece, damn it!! And now you're going to leave us here?!" he wanted to shake her, hit her, even shoot at her. He wanted her to hear him know what she was putting them through, him through.

"Didn't you know I loved you? Don't you know how much you've hurt me? I know, you'll probably never know it, but I just need to tell you. I know it's against the rules for me to say these things, and I know you'd do the same if you were me, but I needed to say it," he said. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he wanted to get it out. He didn't know if he would live to see the next day without saying it out loud. He had been keeping this to himself, the only other person who knew was Mumbo, his dog, only because the dog couldn't tell anyone. He felt as though his deep dark secret was going to make him explode.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**6666666666666666**

The SVU squad had been told she wouldn't make it through the night, which they all knew was possible, but they dreaded it. It was a huge surprise for them then, when they received news at dawn that she was still alive. However, her worsened condition left no one at ease.

She was still unconscious, and she hadn't shown any signs of waking since she had been brought here. Her shivering from when they first found her began again, but it wasn't from being cold anymore. It was from a high fever that had risen dangerously over night as the infection from her wounds spread throughout her body. From the looks of it, it would be safe to say hope was rapidly draining from her.

Everything had been done to try to stabilize her. They had done surgery to get as much of the infection under control as possible, and now she was hooked up to IV's that gave her blood, nutrients, and antibiotics, but it just wasn't enough. None of it was working.

Elliot had been allowed to spend the night in her room. He hadn't left her side, worried that, if he did, he'd miss something or something would happen to her. He literally counted every breath she took as he helplessly watched as her condition worsened. He hadn't been aware of slipping his hand through the bars to touch her face, but he could feel her now shockingly warm skin as he curled himself up on the chair he had been sitting in for the past fourteen hours. It was a slight surprise to him when he saw the sun was coming up.

"How's she doing?" asked Fin, as he opened the door with a slight knock. He looked from Elliot to Liv as the others filed in behind him. There was no doubt in his mind that Elliot hadn't slept at all last night. Fin's mouth fell open when he saw his comrade's condition. She looked, if it was possible at all, worse than she had been when they found her. Her face had shrunken in and her body seemed so gray and frail.

"They let you guys in?" asked Elliot, looking up at the group gathered, very surprised to see them all.

"Well, she doesn't have any family around, so I guess we technically count," said Munch.

"She's not doing well. She's getting worse actually." It was amazing to them all at how he could keep all his emotion out of his voice. He wanted so badly to sob, but he had a hollow, and slightly hoarse voice.

"If you want, Elliot, one of us could stay, and you could go get some sleep," Beckham piped up.

"Thank you for your concern Beckham, but I really need to stay here," he said.

His response came as no surprise to anyone. They all knew his devotion to the woman lying unconscious in the bed. It was a very somber moment to see him watch her so intently.

"Well, if you're not going to rest, you should at least eat something," said Cragen, who was leaning against the wall, his brown eyes having a glint of concern in them. He wondered in the back of his mind what would happen if Liv really did die...well, when she'll die more like it, it's just a matter of time now **(A/N: don't worry, Cragen's not that heartless. He was just wondering what would happen.)**They weren't fooling themselves, she was going to die and they knew it wouldn't take long, judging from her gradually worsening condition.

He didn't look at the captain and didn't bother to answer him either. It was clear he didn't want to talk, it was also clear that he didn't want any of them in there with him.  
The only thing he wanted was a miracle that he knew would never happen.

"I'll bring you something a bit later," he said, and with that, Cragen and the other detectives filed out.

"They're so worried about you, Liv. I just wish you could see it. Well, maybe not, because it would just make you angry," he told her after he hear the door click. He didn't shed tears this time, he simply couldn't do it today. His eyes still burned from all the tears he shed yesterday. "I don't know what they'd do if you didn't wake up. I don't know what I'd do," he said, straightening his blanket. "We need you here, Liv."

He looked up from the blanket and stared at the blank wall for a second when he felt a movement and something warm curling around his hand. Liv had curled her fingers around his hand. At this, Elliot smiled for the first time in what he thought was a century.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**666666666666**

He loved her?! Did she hear him correctly, or had she been dreaming? She wasn't exactly sure, but she hoped it was the first. Why did she do it? It was obvious, wasn't it? It really surprised her that he asked that question. He should have known this. She would do anything for her team, even if it meant going on a dangerous assignment and loosing her life over it. They were her brothers, her friends, her family. Why wouldn't she do that for them? She was certain he'd to the same if he were in her shoes.

He didn't need to be sorry, he didn't do anything wrong. She wanted to hug him, to pull him close. She wanted to yell at him for thinking it was his fault she was in this state. If it wasn't for the huge amounts of morphine being pumped into his system, he would surely cry out. Knowing that her team and the person she loved most were ok was worth it. Knowing that he was in here with her, touching her sure as hell made it worth the pain.

She was a fool, well, it wasn't the first time he had called her that. Usually, that, and everything else he said for that matter, was all true. Usually she had done something wrong that should have been obvious wouldn't work, but not this time. This time, he was the fool for not believing in himself. It wasn't always his fault-scratch that it was rarely his fault. Everyone else believed in her, he said it before. He told her how much everyone admired her strength. That was great, but why did it matter that they believed in her? It was nice to hear that her team believed in her, but she didnt care about what they thought. She wanted him to believe in her.

She didn't mean to hurt him. She did it because it was part of her job to go on an assignmeant. Did he seriously not know that she loved him also? Had she been THAT stupid? Had she been that stupid not to let him know a little bit of how she felt for him? Damn it all, she hadn't told him and, from the looks of things, she wasn't going to have another chance. Stupid!! she thought to herself, why didn't I tell him? Was she scared that he'd reject her? Could he not see past her loyalty and devotion, or was his act just that good? Could she be that blind to not see that there was more than just loyalty before now?

She could feel his touch, and with her gathered strength, managed to curl her fingers around his hand before she lost all conscious thought again.

He had fallen asleep, his head resting on the edge of her bed, their hands still entwined. Cragen left him some food on the bed table. His hair had been rumpled from the many times he ran his fingers through it (a nervous habit of his.) His much needed sleep had been interrupted when he heard a violent, raspy cough coming from the slowly dying detective.  
Instantly, as if powered by impulse, he stood up, ready to run and get the nearest doctor, but he stopped when he saw her eyes open.

"Liv?" he asked, his tired face reflecting deep concern. "Liv, can you hear me?" Her eyes squinted against the bright light of her hospital room. She hadn't seen this much light in weeks.  
Her world seemed to swim in and out of focus. She tried to focus on where his voice was coming from, but it was too difficult for her.

"El-liot?" she asked, her voice a bit uncertain. She was sure it was his voice she heard, but she had to keep her eyes closed from getting sick. Was she still in that cell, or had she been freed?  
Either way, she couldnt tell.

"How...How are you feeling?" Elliot asked, his voice cracking for a split second.

"How do you think...Where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse from disuse.

"You're in the hospital," he said gently.

"How long have I been here? What the hell happened to me?" she asked. She had been freed, thank god!! She was afraid that he tried to rescue her, and that they were both trapped in that hell hole.

"I should go tell the doctors you're awake," he said, standing up suddenly.

Why was he avoiding her questions? She heard the hesitancy in his voice. What was he not telling her? The pain was killing her, but she wanted to know the truth.

"Elliot, tell me what the hell happened to me," she said, wincing as she tried to sit up.

"I should let the doctors tell you," he said.

"Elliot, what the fuck aren't you telling me? I want to know the truth!!"

He sighed deeply, and walked back over to her bed, trying to keep his emotion down before he spoke again.

"You were hurt badly. The doctors told us that you weren't going to make it through the night. You have a massive infection from your wounds, so they've been giving you all known medicine known to man. You have many broken bones, mainly from the nonstop beatings you endured. The doctors have done several surgeries to try to repair the worst of your injuries and internal bleeding, but, so far, nothing has worked. You haven't been doing well since we brought you here. We lost you four times on the way here. You've had us all scared to death."

She tried to move to a sitting position, and managed to only raise her head when a blinding pain hit her like a ton of bricks. She lay her head back down, closing her eyes and listened to him.

"I hear what you said while I was unconscious. Was it true? About you loving me?" she asked, opening her eyes a bit to look at him.

He said nothing, but turned to smile at her and left the room...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**666666666666666**

Hearing the door shut quietly behind him, Olivia closed her eys, trying to regain the sleep she desperately needed. Waking up wasn't her best idea, for she was beginning to feel the pain of breathing again, despite broken ribs. She knew it wouldn't be too long before he came back in with a doctor,  
but she used the time to it's fullest potential.

"Well, they weren't kidding when they said you were a 'stubborn woman', Detective Benson."

At this comment, Liv made a sound in annoyance. Her five minutes of much desired sleep were interrupted, but she couldn't help smirking as she wondered who made the comment. Her bet was on either Munch or Fin.

The doctor put the rails of the bed down and leaned into her face with a bright light, which earned him another annoyed sound as Liv closed her eyes against the blinding light for a second before she gave it up, which earned her the worst headache she had ever had.

"Well, you have yourself a quite severe concussion, and your eyes are a bit sensitive from seeing so much light."

No fucking shit she hadn't seen normal light for a while. If he knew what her reachtion would be before the test, what was the point in testing her? Would they leave her alone for a while. Her head was pounding like she had the worst hangover in history, and the lights and noise weren't helping either.

"The people that came in with you were very relieved when they got the news you woke up. None of them have left the building since they brought you in," said the doctor, as he started peeling away at the numerous bandages on Liv's arms (some of which made her wince.) "Especially the young man who has been in here with you the last few days. Now I see what everyone's been talking about. You really do live up to the stories I've heard, Ms. Benson."

Was this doctor seriously blind, or could he not see that Olivia wasn't in the mood for a conversation? Did he really think she was interesting in what wnet on while she was out? She looked around, a bit surprised that Elliot hadn't come in with the doctor. She guessed that he was the one who told the others she was finally awake.

"They beat you up pretty badly. You're on some pretty heavy antibiotics, but they don't seem to be getting rid of the infection. This may hurt a bit," he said, as he pulled away the last layer of bandage that stuck to her bruised and broken arm.

Liv hissed in obvious pain before turning to see how badly her arm was really broken. She knew it would be bad (well, why wouldn't it, seeing as what she had been through.) It hurt like a mother fucker, but when she actually saw it, it made her stomach turn over. The skin was a sickly purple-grey-yellow-green color with long red lines running up and down the legnth of her arm, the tell tale sign of a huge and possibly deadly infection. It was also swollen with numerous stitches running up her arm.

She remembered with horror, her captors breaking the bones in her arms one by one the first day. She could only remember up to about the seventh day, when they took a barbed whip to her her bare back and cut her arm up like a fillet of fish, but she couldn't remember what the fuck happened to make her arm look the way it did.

"He said he told you how bad it was," said the doctor with an expression of sickening surprise.

"Yeah, he did. I just didn't think it was that bad," she said, realizing that it was stupid to think Elliot was exaggerating.

"We may have to do some more surgery in the next few days to get the infection under control," he continued.

"That's what he was saying."

"He's been worried about you. They all have, for that matter," he said.

"He always worries about me," she said. Was this guy really going to give her a lecture, right now?! She's in the middle of recovery for Christ's sake!!

"Hearing all the stories, I can see why he's always worried."

She didn't answer him, she just wanted desperately to go back to sleep.

"Is he a boyfriend of yours?"

"No, he's my partner." Did it really matter to this guy what relationship she had with him? Had he not been in uniform, that would be a dead giveaway at how far thier relationship had gone.  
**(A/N: correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the SVU squad have a uniform they wear?)** He couldn't be her boyfriend, her husband or any of that. He was just a good friend and her partner. That would definately change after she got out of the hospital, however.

"You should be very thankful for him and all of them," said the doctor, smiling, as he applied fresh bandages to her wounds.

"I know. I don-" She broke off when the doctor applied a fresh bandage to her shoulder. The pain in his touch caught her off guard. Who knew such a light touch could send so much blinding pain shooting up her arm, she had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from crying out in sheer agony. She jerked her arm away, only to cause more blinding pain. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as her breaths became more and more shallow. It was a damn good thing Elliot hadn't been there to see the sudden burst of pain.

The doctor was amazed at such a strong reaction to such a light touch. When her body didn't seem to want to relax, he gave her another dose of morphine. Such sensitivity to light touches wasn't a good sign.

When, at long last, the doctor finally left an hour later, Elliot resumed his place next to Liv, who, he presumed was sleeping.

"Yes, Liv. What I said was true. All of it," he whispered. When he said this, Olivia smiled...


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**666666666666666666**

"Morin' Liv!!" said Munch, his usual sarcastic grin on his face as he walked in behind Fin and Cragen. He was followed closely by two other detectives.

Their unwanted arrival caused an annoyed groan from the detective, who wanted nothing more than to pick up her pillow and press it over her face to block them out. Sadly for her, she didn't have the energy to move. If she did, moving wouldn't be worth the pain that came with it. She might as well ive up the idea of sleep anytime soon.

"Nice to see you too, Liv," said Fin, as he took up the seat that Elliot usually sat in. Fin couldn't help but smile. Liv must be ok, she was back to normal.

"Russell and Benton came by to see you, but you were out cold. The others have been asking about you also," said Fin

"How are they doing?" she asked, trying to sit up, which was a bad idea, given her present condition.

"They're fine. Worried about you, but fine."

It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see her fellow detectives. She was happy to see them with her own eyes. She just didn't feel like talking or listening to anyone (who could blame her?) She just wanted to go back to the dreamless, drug-educed sleep.

"No offense Liv, but you can be really stupid sometimes," said Munch.

What the fuck was with him calling her stupid? If anyone was stupid, it was them for not believing in her.

"How are you feeling?" asked Cragen.

"Great, can't you tell?" she said, her tone drenched with venom and sarcasm.

"Ah, the good old venomous sarcastic stubborn Olivia we all know and love. Pay up, Fin," said Munch. They had bet on what her mood would be before they came in, typical. All of them were gamblers (well, all but Elliot, that is.)

"So, was it you who called me, oh what was it? A 'stubborn woman'?" she asked Munch, slightly amused.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"The doctor, when he came in to check on me."

"Well, you can't say that isn't true. This is the second time you've defied death," he said as they all laughed.

"Really, though, how have you been feeling? You've had us all worried, scared, and depressed. We've all slept in the waiting room. Well all of us except Elliot. He hasn't left your side since we found you and brought you here," said Munch. He loved teasing her whenever he could, and he knew it was a bit out of Elliot's character to be worried sick, but seeing her when they found her shook him up pretty badly.

She was fully aware of the risks that came with her job. She'd seen others get hurt, and she'd even been hurt a couple times. She had seen her friends come within an inch of death. She knew all of them were bound to get banged up sooner or later. Some stitches, a couple broken bones here and there, bumps and bruises were nothing new to them. Seeing your best friend in such bad shape though was something he wasn't going to get out of his head for a while.

Liv's face was emotionless as she looked up at the men gathered around her. Munch wasn't as stupid as some thought he was. He knew something was very wrong, well beyond the obvious. He knew they owed her their support, loyalty, and worry. They knew her career as a detective might be over, depending on what would happen in the next few days. She knew she would be replaced over the time it would take her to recover. She's seen it plenty of times before.

"Earth to Liv!! You ok?" asked Munch, when Liv spaced out and was staring at the blank wall behind Cragen.

"Wha-oh. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm a stubborn woman like you said. I'll be out of here in no time," she told them confidently with a smirk on her face, which was enough for them.

When they left an hour or so later, Liv closed her eyes as a sign that she was exhausted. She opened them a bit when she heard the door click shut behind Elliot as he came in again.

"You didn't tell them what the doctors said, did you?" he asked as he sat down. He let the guys and Liv chat while he took a well-deserved break. It was kind of nice having time to himself without having to worry.

"They don't need anything more to worry about right now. They've been worried enough," she said, turning her head to look at him. He looked a bit better, like he had time to sleep and have something to eat.

"Do you really think you could hide it from them? If something worse does happen, they have a right to know," he told her, wondering in the back of his mind how she could have missed that hugely obvious detail.

She sighed slightly. Fuck it all, why did he always have to be right?

"I'll worry about it when the time comes. Right now, I don't give a flying fuck," she said, hoping he'd get the message she was ready to pass out.

"You're the biggest procrastinator I've ever met," he told her, with a hint of teasing in his voice. He knew she was tired, that's why he didn't pursue the conversation.

"And you're very sexy," she said, before closing her eyes and letting her head hit the pillow.

He stared at her for a second after this comment, his face going a deep shade of red that it had never gone before. Sexy? Did Liv really mean that, or was it the fact that she was so drugged, she had a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself, let alone keeping her eyes open for almost two hours?

"I-I don't think you know what you're talking about, Liv," he said.

"And Munch had the guts to call me the stupid one," she said with a smile before finally drifting off to sleep.

**6666666666666666**

**Kinda fluffy, I know. It'll go back to drama soon, I promise...** **Keep on reviewing, you guys rock!!**


End file.
